Hampton To Be Honored By YWCA-NYC’s "W Award"

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Liberty legend Kym Hampton

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New York, NY, June 1 – The YWCA of the City of New
York’s fifth annual Summer Soiree and “W Award”
presentation will take place on Thursday, June 25 at The Loeb
Boathouse in Central Park beginning at 6:30 PM. It was announced this
morning by Jerome D. Grant, the YWCA-NYC’s Vice President of Development and
External Affairs, that the organization will be honoring WNBA legend Kym
Hampton and Barbara Jones, editorial director of Hyperion Books,
including the VOICE imprint, as the recipients of the 2009 “W Award”.
WNBC-TV’s celebrated meteorologist, Janice Huff, will return again to host the
evening. The Summer Soiree is sponsored, in part, by UBS.

Created in 2005, the YWCA-NYC’s “W Award” honors women and companies that
embody the YW’s mission to empower women and eliminate racism. A visionary,
innovator and trendsetter, the past W Award honorees are all prominent figures
or organizations that stand as an example for all to aspire. Past recipients
include Marian McEvoy, founding editor of Elle Décor and former editor-in-chief
of House Beautiful; TV personality Star Jones; CNN correspondent Soledad
O’Brien; New York Times bestselling travel writer Patricia Schultz; Carla
Hendra, Co-CEO of Ogilvy North America; the editors of Women’s Health magazine;
and meteorologist Janice Huff.

“The YW is thrilled to honor Kym Hampton and Barbara Jones with this year’s W
Awards,” says Jerome Grant, the YW’s Vice President of Development &
External Affairs. “Both women have paved an extraordinary path in their lives
and careers, and we hope that honoring them and recognizing their achievements
will serve as an inspiration to all.”

Kym Hampton is a highly-decorated former player on the New York Liberty
basketball team. In addition to her WNBA career, she is a plus-size model in
fashion and cosmetics and has been featured on the pages of Glamour and Essence
and photographed by the likes of Francesco Scavullo and Daniel Green. Although
no longer on the court, she continues to work with the New York Liberty as a Fan
Development Leader as well as a spokesperson for the NBA, WNBA, New York
Liberty, and New York Knicks.

The multi-talented Hampton has
appeared in such television programs and films as “Cosby Show,” “Rosie,”
“Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” “JuWanna Mann,” and “She Hate Me.” She is also an
avid singer who regularly appears at nightclubs in the U.S. and abroad and has
sung the national anthem several times at The Garden. Whether in the sports
arena, on stage, or on the screen, Hampton continues to inspire a younger
generation of women to realize their dreams. Her motto is “as a role model, we
must lead with our actions, not our words.”

To complete the evening celebrating amazing women, the YWCA-NYC is thrilled
to have Janice Huff return as master of ceremonies. One of New York’s most
recognized forecasters, Huff is the weekday meteorologist for NBC4 where she
delivers the weather reports for the station’s “Live at Five,” “News Channel 4
at 6 and 11 PM,” and weekend edition of “Today”. Huff is a passionate advocate
for children and community-related issues. She has received numerous accolades
for her work on “Wednesday’s Child,” a popular weekly adoption feature that airs
during “Live at Five”.

The evening will include cocktail, hors d’oeuvres, dancing, and the annual
“Box Project” silent auction in addition to the awards ceremony. Tickets to the
event (starting at $150) can be purchased by calling or by visiting the YW’s
website at www.ywcanyc.org.

Established in 1858, the YWCA of the City of New York is one of the nation’s
oldest non-profit organizations. Our mission is to address the critical needs of
New York City women and to empower them for success and leadership in their
lives, jobs and communities. We focus on underserved families through job
training, educational child care and after school programs; partnerships with
business, government and other not-for-profits; and advocacy on behalf of the
clients we serve.